


We're Not Monsters

by Benny_Boiii



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Mermaids, Other, Sailor and Mermaids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:47:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23399431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benny_Boiii/pseuds/Benny_Boiii
Summary: It was just supposed to be a normal day on the sea, a way to relax and spend time together, but George and Martha Washington quickly find out that their lovely adventure would become their worst nightmare. But the thing that ended up saving them, was the thing that both feared more than anything. A merman
Relationships: George Washington/Martha Washington
Comments: 7
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little one shot that I made. It won't be supper long (I'm hoping)

“Georgie it’s too early to get up..” Martha groaned as she carefully pushed herself up in the large four post bed she shared with her husband before before following him with her eyes. He was already awake and fully dressed in a simple button-up shirt white shirt with navy jeans while Martha herself was mostly naked under the sheets. She didn't mind it though, as her husband had seen her fully many times “It’s not that early my darling, besides getting up and out of this cottage will help you relax and will help our child. The fresh sea air and the dawn light, it’ll be refreshing” George, Martha's husband, said. Martha sighed softly and began to work her way out of the bed “I still would’ve preferred it to have been later in the day” she mumbled before sliding her feet onto the cold wooden floor. “Hun could you help me up please??” she asked while stretching her arms towards George.  
George turned back to Martha and chuckled softly “Alright, and I’ve already laid out some clothes for you darling, just that simple day dress you bought a few months ago" he said as he slowly hauled his wife up. Martha groaned softly as she adjusted to the full weight on her feet on the wooden floor. “Thanks hun” she said and leaned up to kiss her husband’s collarbone for that was all she could reach without going up onto her toes. George smiled sweetly down at his little wife “Of course darling, go ahead and get dressed, I’ll just be down by the docks getting our boat ready” he said and kissed the top of Martha’s head amidst her coils of shortly cropped dark brown hair. Martha let a light smirk grow on her lips before speaking up “So you aren’t going to join me while I change??” she asked, a hint of flirtatiousness mixed into her sweet voice.  
George chuckled before bending down and kissing Martha’s cheek “I would love to, but I really need to go down to the docks to prepare” he said before taking his wife’s hand. Martha giggled softly and squeezed George’s hand “That’s quite alright hun” she said “You go get ready, I won’t be too far behind”. George smiled softly and let go of Martha’s hand before heading out of the cottage door and down the hill to the docks. Martha went to the window and watched her husband become a smaller dot among the landscape as he got further away and closer to the marina. She gave a complacent sigh before resting her hands on her slightly protruding stomach.  
“Good morning baby” Martha said softly in a song like manner as she gently rubbed her stomach. “Your father has some big plans for us today, I think it’ll be fun” she said and chuckled before opening up the window and letting in the cool sea breeze. She sighed with content before resting her arms on the windowsill and leaning out a little bit to watch the speck that was her husband working on the docks. After a moment George turned back and looked up towards their cottage and smiled brightly before waving up happily to his wife who he could barely make out in the open window. Martha saw the wave and giggled happily before copying his motions just as enthusiastically. She stepped back and drew the curtains shut before going to the bed to grab the dress George had laid out for her before his departure.  
After changing into the simple white day dress and slipping on her favorite pair of comfortable shoes she walked out of the cottage and looked down the hill again. She took a deep breath of salty sea air before locking up the cottage and beginning her careful descent down the hill towards the wharf and her husband. Soon she arrived and was forced to pause for a moment to catch her breath which had easily left her due to the large amount of walking with the extra weight from her child. “Soon I’ll have to have Georgie carry me up and down that damned hill” She said and chuckled to herself before journeying down the docks to her and her husbands boat.  
The boat had belonged to George’s father which had been passed down George's older brother Lawrence. Several ears ago he tragically died on a boating trip with George after falling overboard and encountering the sea demons known as the Mermaids that lived just out to sea. Martha shuttered at the remembrance of those vile creates and tried to push the horrid story George had told about the day he had lost his brother out of her mind. None of George’s siblings wanted the boat after the incident but when it was offered to George he gladly took it. Now George and his wife used it for their own fun and recreation, with George occasionally going out on Mermaid hunting extravaganzas. Every time George left was always a tense time for Martha, but she always knew her husband would return safely, just like they would after this trip.  
Martha waited on the dock in front of their boat and searched for her husband who was supposedly somewhere on board. After a moment or two his head popped out from the captain’s cabin and when he caught sight of his wife he broke into a large grin “Hello my darling, we’re just about ready to shove off. We won’t be out too long though, I think there might be a storm brewing later in the afternoon” George said as he walked over to where the edge of the boat met the dock and where his wife was waiting. Martha smiled up at her husband “That sounds like a wonderful plan Georgie, but then again you always have those” she said with a soft giggle.  
George chuckled softly to himself before opening the door to let his wife step onto the boat “Come on and give me your hand I’ll help you up” he said as he leaned forward to grab Martha’s hand. She happily complied and after a moment she was standing inside the boat with her husband, their hands still interlocked. Martha gazed lovingly up into her husbands enchantingly dark honey colored eyes while he met her gaze with a soft smile that made his eyes light up happily. They stood there for a moment, enraptured in each other’s eyes until George broke the moment by planting a soft kiss on his wife’s lips.  
Martha kissed back lovingly for a moment before pulling away as the sudden gesture of passion made momentarily stolen her breath. “What happened to just about ready to go??” she teased with a giggle. George laughed softly and reluctantly pulled away from Martha “Just need to shove off” he said and kissed her hand before going to where the rope on board the ship was tied to the dock “Go into the cabin and sit down, it’ll be a bit shaky getting out of the marina but once we get to open water it’ll be more smooth” George called as he undid the knot keeping them docked.  
“I’ve been on a boat before Georgie” Martha said and chuckled before taking her husband’s advice and going into the captain's cabin to sit down. A second later George walked into the cabin and went to the main console for the controls for the boat “I know, but I want you to be extra careful while you’re pregnant” George said before the low hum of the engine sparked to life. “I may be pregnant but that doesn’t mean I can’t handle being on a boat” Martha said and chuckled softly. George chuckled a bit to himself before speaking yo Martha, his eyes still on the water as he prepared to pull away from the dock “I suppose you’re right, I just can’t help but take a little bit of extra precautions”  
“That’s understandable hun, I just felt like saying it” Martha said as she felt the boat begin to move. She looked out the window and watched as the marina around them slowly disappeared from view. After George maneuvered the boat away from everything else they began to move at a steady speed away from land and towards the open ocean. Martha stayed seated to best counteract the motion and sea sickness she felt welling up, either that or her pregnancy was making her nauseous. If she was being honest with herself it was probably a little bit of both.  
After a while of boating out away from the coast George turned off the engine and let the boat lazily float across the placid waters. “We can drop anchor here, I brought some food for breakfast and we can just sit out here and relax before heading back in. With any luck we’ll be able to reach landfall before that storm blows over here” he explained as he went out onto the boat's deck to drop anchor. “I thought you said there MIGHT be a storm coming” Martha said as she slowly pushed herself up from her seated position.  
“I think I might’ve been wrong, the sun should be up and it should be clear by now, but these clouds are still here, and look out over the horizon, they’re darker further away” George said and pointed out west to showcase what he was talking about. Martha carefully made her way towards her husband and looked where he was pointing. “Perhaps it’s just bits of night still there” Martha said optimistically. “I hope you’re right and I’m just being paranoid” George said and sighed before going back into the cabin “Come on, I’ll get breakfast set up, we can get some pillows and blankets from the closet and picnic on the floor” he called.  
Martha smiled and followed her husband into the captain's cabin “You really came prepared” she said and chuckled softly before slowly easing herself onto the floor “And thank god you didn’t decide to do this later, I might not have been able to get up” she added. George laughed softly and set out a picnic basket he had kept hidden from sight before going to the closet at the bow of the ship and sifting through the contents for blankets and pillows. Martha in the meantime had busied herself with setting out all the food that George had packed for their trip.  
George laid out all of the blankets and set the pillows down and Martha shuffled over to sit more comfortably on a pillow. George moved all of the food onto the blanket before sitting down across from his wife and smiling “I brought you some tea, because I remembered coffee makes you nauseous” he said and Martha smiled brightly “Took you long enough to remember” she teased and George rolled his eyes playfully “Hey at least I remembered” he retorted and laughed while Martha joined in. A moment later they both calmed down and began to help themselves to the breakfast that George had provided of various fruits, pastries, and of course bacon which was Martha’s current pregnancy craving food.  
They ate together with just a little bit of chatter to pass the time, but they didn’t need much talk to be happy as they could accomplish that just by being in each other’s company. After they finished their breakfast George helped Martha up and onto the bench before cleaning up their picnic. Martha looked out the window and noticed the western sky had gotten a bit darker, and that darkness had spread much closer to their current location “Hun I think my optimism might not have held out” she said and looked back at George. George crossed over to stand behind Martha and look out the window before cursing “Shit- I think you’re right darling, we should start heading back now, I’ll go pull up the anchor” he said and went out onto the deck. Martha turned towards the direction of the deck to watch her husband “How much time do you think we have??” She asked, her voice barely hiding her worry “I think we’ll have plenty of time darling” George called before coming back into the cabin to drive them home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The storm came much faster than either of them had anticipated, and it was on the couple before they could reach the safety of land. The waves tossed the boat as rain plunged down, making visibility nearly impossible. Lightning pierced the dark sky, arching across in a beautiful yet deadly display of lights, with thunder booming a split second afterwards overhead. George did his best to steer the boat to keep them on course but the increased rocking due to the storm made steering significantly harder. Martha did her best to hold onto something to keep herself upright, but the tossing of the boat was weakening her grip strength. “George I don’t think I can hold on much longer!!” Martha cried over the roaring wind and rain.  
“Just a little bit longer!! I know there’s a little island not too far away where we can stop and wait it out!!” George called back. Martha nodded and fixed her grip before a sudden lurch from the boat tossed both her and George. “Shit- I think the anchor came loose, I’ll have to go haul it up!!” he yelled before turned the engine off “You have to go out there?! George what if you fall overboard?!” Martha asked, her voice seized with worry. “I’ll be alright Martha!! Just stay here!!” George called and began to carefully shuffle his way out onto the deck. Martha watched him go anxiously and tried to peer through the battering rain to watch her husband, though she wasn’t very successful. Her paranoia got eventually got the best of her and she shuffled closer towards the door, careful of any sudden and harsh rocking that might overtake the boat at any moment. Martha was able to make out her husband hauling up the anchor from the depths and her fear momentarily subsided, until a wave swept over the boat and caught both her and George. George ended up being the luckier one and had had a solid grip on the chain of the anchor, so when his legs had been swept out from under him he wasn’t taken overboard. Martha on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky.  
Her grip was torn from the doorway and she was swept into the side of the boat with a heavy thump. She tried to grab on and push herself away from the edge but the boat rocked violently, throwing her overboard and into the icy waters. The last thing she heard was the horrified and desperate cries of her husband. The shock of hitting the water tore the breath from her lungs and stunned her limbs as she felt herself slowly sinking down into the depths. Before her eyes closed though, she caught a glimmer of… something... dark expanse of the sea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Laf it had been like any other day that he had lived through. Wake up, kill breakfast, visit the shipwreck he had arrived in, sneak up to the surface for some alone time, kill dinner, go back to his cave and sleep. It may be repetitive, but Laf didn’t mind it, besides that just made days where something new happened much more fun. On this day though, when he had gone to the surface he could tell a storm was on the way, and moving quickly. He sighed and dove back down into the depth to wait out the storm in his cave, depressed that his time on the surface had been cut prematurely short. Laf could hear the storm raging overhead but then through the patter of the rain a new sound cut through. A boat engine.  
Laf wasn’t an idiot, he knew how dangerous people were, but what was a boat doing out in the middle of a storm? Laf swam to the edge of his cave and peered up, trying his best to make out the surface through the distorted water. He couldn’t exactly see the boat, but he could tell there was something coming down from it so he decided against his instincts and ventured out of the safety of his cave to go see what exactly was going on.  
As Laf got closer to where the boat was he could tell that there was an anchor that had been dropped. Laf cocked his head to the side and tried to figure out what a boat was doing with it’s anchor down in the middle of such a bad storm. He was startled from his thoughts though, when the anchor started rising and Laf swam up to follow it curiously. Laf was about halfway to the surface when the Anchor suddenly stopped and bobbed in place as if it were stuck. He looked up at the surface to try and figure out what was wrong before a sudden splash alerted him to a new problem.  
There was a sudden flurry of bubbles as if something had fallen into the sea, and indeed something had. A poor soul lost to the rough waves, which surely would make for a fine dinner. Laf licked his lips, his sharp teeth flashing for a moment before he swam up to collect his newfound prize. As he drew closer he could tell that his soon to be victim was a woman with tan skin and short curly brown hair, which looked black in the dark waters. The dress she was wearing floated around her, which would’ve made her look almost angelic if she wasn’t drowning.  
Laf wrapped his arms around the women, ready to drag her down and away from the surface when a sudden break in the waves allowed him to catch a glimpse of the boat clearly. There was a large man on board, and it looked like he was holding onto something, possibly the chain to the anchor. Laf couldn’t see his face clearly to make out any prominent features, but he could tell he was terrified, and there were bright streaks on his cheeks which were most definitely tear tracks. He couldn’t hear anything, but the man’s mouth was open, likely calling for the woman who had fallen from the vessel. Laf looked down at the woman and her placid face, sprinkled with freckles, her arms casually floating in front of her. She was unconscious, and if actions weren’t taken soon she would be dead in a matter of minutes.  
Laf considered just eating her once he got back to his cave, after all he hadn’t had a decent human meal in quite some time, but as his eyes traveled down the woman’s body he found she had a bit of a swollen stomach. The woman was with a child, who would surely die with its mother. Laf cast his eyes up at the man again to find he’d hauled the anchor out of the water and was looking back into the waves, trying not to get tossed off of the rocking boat himself. Laf sighed and looked down at the women one final time before making up his mind.  
He dragged the lady down into deeper waters before letting her float on her own. He shuddered at the thought of what he was about to do before swimming back over to the woman holding her face still while he pressed his lips upon hers. Laf hated doing this, especially for a woman, but he’d seen the face of the man on the boat and her swollen stomach. Laf wasn’t a monster like many thought him to be, and he knew that the unborn child deserved a chance at life, so here he was, kissing the unconscious woman and praying he wasn’t too late to save her life.  
He felt the woman try to draw in a breath against his lips so he pushed her away and watched her begin her transformation. Her human ears became more angular, and grew bits of webbing on the edges and her eyes fluttered open for a moment before shutting again, likely to adjust to the sudden experience of underwater vision. Her dress melted away into sea foam, revealing (thankfully) a lilac lace bra covering her large breasts. Small gill-like features sprouted on her sides and her fingers grew small bits of webbing between them before her legs fused together and slowly grew scales. The scales shimmered into a beautiful holographic lilac as the woman’s eyes finally fluttered open.  
She looked around, clearly confused as to what she was doing underwater before opening her mouth to let out a gasp. She quickly covered her mouth though, thinking that she had wasted precious oxygen before her eyes finally landed on Laf. She let out a shriek and appeared surprised to be able to hear her own voice own voice underwater before she turned to try and swim to the surface, only to find that she couldn’t move her legs, for now she had none. Laf swam over to the woman and grabbed her arm to keep her in place “Mademoiselle please-” he began to say in his thick French accent before he received a sharp slap to the face from the woman.  
“What have you done to me?!” The woman asked her voice sweet, but also full of fear and confusion. One hand went to rest protectively on her stomach while the other was ready to swipe at Laf again, and by the look in her eyes, she wasn’t afraid to hit him again. “Mademoiselle, please, just let me explain!!” Laf tried again only to have the woman cut in again “Why would I listen to a monster like you?!” She cried “And where is my husband?!” Laf sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly this lady would prove to be an issue. He should've just eaten her when he had the chance.  
“First of all I rightfully deserve a thank you for saving your life” Laf said which only won him another harsh slap to the face again. “THANK YOU!?” The lady screeched “YOU TURNED ME INTO A FREAK!!” Laf groaned and rubbed his cheek where the woman had slapped him twice, which was beginning to get a little sore. “At least I did not eat you or let you drown” Laf said “Besides, there is a way to restore you back to your human self, not that you’d want to go back anyways, humans are disgusting” he added, mumbling the last part to himself. The woman sadly heard him, and Laf received his third slap within just a couple minutes “I heard that” the woman said harshly “And it’s not us humans who are disgusting, you creatures are a horrific and murderous hybrid, something completely unnatural, why would I want to stay like that?!” The woman cried “I am not in the mood to argue this with you right now, we must get away from the surface as there is likely to be lightning that will strike the sea and kill us” Laf said, trying to reason with the stubborn woman.  
“I’m not going anywhere with you!! I’m going to find my husband!!” The lady said before sloppily swimming up towards the surface. Laf groaned again and followed her, grabbing her arm and forcefully dragging her down away from the surface. This time when the woman went to slap him he was ready, and he caught her hand, baring his sharp teeth at her “Do not slap me again or I will eat you. If we are truly as unnatural as you say then cannibalism should not be too big of a stretch” he threatened, licking his lips for an added effect. The woman went pale, and she shrunk into herself. “A-alright-” she stuttered as she started shaking slightly. Laf turned away from her, a firm grip still on her arm, as he led her down into the depths and back to the safety of his cave.


	2. Exposition via a Salty Sea Baguette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as the title says

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> little bit of a warning cause this chapter does mention a wee bit of blood so if you don't like it (or like reading about killing fish) then skip those parts. Also the end is kinda depressing so another warning there

Dear god- Laf should have never saved this woman. Once they were safely in his cave the poor lady let out several heartbroken sobs while she just floated in the middle of the cave and took up space. She eventually managed to find her way to a rock and settled down on it even though it was Laf’s personal rock which he was pissed about her taking by the way. Laf thinned his lips and let her continue her insensate sobbing before speaking up, crossing his arms and tapping his finger on his upper arm, clearly bothered with her ear splitting sobbing. “Are you finished yet” Laf asked, his voice monotone to match his mood. “Can’t a woman get a moment alone?!” The woman asked through broken sobs and Laf rolled his eyes “Your ‘moment alone’ is going to alert those nearby, and if you do not like me then you most certainly will not like them" he replied.

The woman just went back to her wailing and Laf huffed in annoyance as his attempt to get her to be quiet had gone nowhere. At least she wasn’t hitting him anymore which was a plus as far as he was concerned. The repeated tussle of trying to get the damned woman to shut up finally ended as her sobs faded into mere sniffles after what felt like an eternity. “W-Why are you so rude to me..” The woman asked and Laf let out yet another annoyed sigh “Because I regret ever saving you, but curse my warm heart for believing that saving you would bring me any good” he spat out before swimming away to the edge of his cave and resting on the edge “There is a bed for you to sleep on” Laf called back without turning and with a hint of anger and annoyance still flavoring his voice “Use it”. As much as he hated the women, she did deserve some level of comfort. Besides, as irritating as she was she was still with child.

The cave was silent except for the woman’s silent sniffles and the soft _swoosh_ of water as she sloppily swam to Laf’s bed. Great he still had to teach her how to swim with a tail, just marvelous how could his situation get any worse?. “C-can I at least ask for your name..” she called out tentatively. “I-if I really am stuck down here with you.. It’s only fair”. Laf felt himself soften up against his better judgement as he turned to face the woman “Lafayette.. My name is Lafayette.. And you??” He asked, trying to keep his voice sharp even though he’d calmed down from his initial anger. “Martha… Martha Washington..” The woman, who Laf now knew as Martha called back before lying down carefully, her hands going to rest on her stomach.

“Th-thank you..” Martha finally called after a moment “Y-you were right.. You did save my life.. I-I was just.. Scared and shocked...and heartbroken-” Martha began to rub her small belly before tuning away leaving Laf slightly confused as to the sudden shift in her mood. He definitely had not expect her to say that after everything that had just happened. How was it that this woman could find a way to be nice after everything that had happened to her? Laf brushed it off for now and decided to try to follow Martha’s example and get some sleep, even if he had to sleep on the uncomfortable rocks on the edge of the cave.

Laf woke up in the morning to a putrid smell filling up the cave as he rubbed his eyes to try and figure out where it was coming from. His back ached from sleeping on the rocks as he tried to move before he heard the source of the smell. How wonderful, Martha was vomiting. Laf groaned before getting up and floating over to her, careful not to run into any of the bile that was now aimlessly floating about the cave. “Are you alright??” Laf asked, trying to ignore the horrible smell before Martha turned to him while wiping her face off “I-I’m fine… i-it happens..” she said. “Well how wonderful for us then” Laf said without any enthusiasm as some cleaner fish arrived, drawn to the scene by the horrid smell of Martha's vomit.

Martha rest a hand on her stomach as she watched the little fish clean before swaying dangerously with a groan. Laf held her in place before placing his hand on her forehead to check for a temperature “Perhaps you should go up to the surface. Mermaids are cold-blooded after all and being in the dark for so long could be bad for you” Laf said but Martha just waved it away. “It’s just a bit of nausea from the baby” she said as she patted her stomach for emphasis “It’ll pass soon enough, hopefully without anymore throwing up. I’m very sorry you had to wake up to that by the way”. “It is alright-” Laf said.

Martha sighed shakily as she rubbed her bump “So..I’m assuming there isn’t much to do..” Martha said before her stomach growled. For a moment Laf thought it was the baby but then he realized it was just from hunger “Are you hungry??” He asked and Martha nodded sheepishly “If it isn’t too much trouble for you.. Though I’m not sure what someone of… your species- would eat-” she said before rubbing her bump more, which Laf noted she tended to do when she was uncomfortable. “Well I normally kill some fish to eat- but I am sure I could possibly find some seaweed if you are a… what do you humans call it.. Vegetable-tarian??” Laf said while looking to Martha to see if he’d gotten the term correct.

Martha snorted before laughing, one hand on her stomach and the other to her mouth “No no, it’s called a vegetarian” She said calmly, making sure to enunciate as best as she could so that Laf could get the word “Vegetarian??” Laf asked and Martha beamed when he got it correct “Good good, and no I’m not a vegetarian and I happen to quite like fish, though I’ve never had it raw before- Though I suppose there's a time for everything” Martha said with a soft sigh. “It will be fine, if I catch a good fish like a cod or a salmon then it will be extra good” Laf said with a slight chuckle before freezing, which caught Martha off guard and made her worried “Are you alright Lafayette??” she asked and Laf finally asked what had been bugging him since last night.

“How are you suddenly being so cheerful?? Yesterday you were screaming and sobbing your eyes out but now.. You have been nothing but understanding and clam this morning and it is making me feel nice” Laf said and Martha looked down at herself before looking back up at Laf “It’s just how I always am I suppose… my actions yesterday were- not right.. And I am so sorry that I put you through so much misery… but it was all very shocking… I miss my sweet Georgie.. And I’m worried for him and our child” She said as she rubbed her stomach, her eyes glistening to suggest that she was crying, even though one couldn’t see the tears underwater. Laf’s heart ached to see her like this as he understood what Martha was really feeling before he did something that he hadn't done in ages. He slowly swam closer to Martha and carefully enveloped her in a hug.

Martha was a bit surprised by the sudden action but after a moment she happily hugged back and let herself cry softly. Laf let her get it all out, now that he understood how she really felt about everything. He pulled away after a moment and Martha wiped her eyes, only to realize that there was nothing to wipe away, causing her to chuckle slightly “I guess I still have to adjust to this whole situation” she said and sighed softly and Laf flashed her a soft smile “I will go look for food, stay inside the cave and try to stay hidden as best you can” he instructed and Martha nodded “Will do.. You be safe out there Lafayette” she said and now it was Laf’s turn to chuckle “I am aware of what I am doing” he said “I will be alright” With that he swam out of the cave and off into the sea to fetch food for the morning.

One tiring chase, a fight with another mermaid, and 2 salmon later Laf headed back to the cave to see if Martha was still there. “Bonjour?? Mademoiselle??” he called as he swam inside. Martha looked up from where she was sitting on a rock and smiled when she saw Laf appear before carefully pushing herself up “Welcome back, are you alright??” She asked and Laf nodded before brandishing the salmon he’d gathered “It is not much, but I got into a fight with another mermaid who stole the rest of what I had. If you like I would be happy to go out and find some more” he said but Martha waved it away as she slowly maneuvered her way over to him “This will be more than enough, thank you Lafayette” she said before taking one of the fish from the proud French merman.

Martha did her best not to gag as she held the slimy, bloodied fish before watching Laf tear into it with his sharp teeth with vigor. Martha swallowed her nausea before bringing the fish to her lips and biting down into it. To her surprise the fish squirmed to life and slipped out of her hands, the shock of it all causing her to scream in fear and shock. Laf looked up with a mouth full of fish guts before seeing the wounded fish attempting to swim away and a terrified Martha before he chased after it and grabbed it, letting his own long dead fish float around the cave before he bit into the fish, causing it to finally still once and for all. He swallowed the fish bits in his mouth before holding the newly dead fish up to Martha “I should have warn you that they may not be dead, I apologize, but here” He said happily, his sharp teeth now stained red with blood.

Martha shuddered before pushing the fish back towards Laf “You eat it Lafayette, I’m not hungry” she said as she held her stomach. Laf shrugged before chowing down on the fish he’d killed for Martha before going to collect his own fish and eating that as well. Once he had just the bones left he tossed them out of the cave and let them float away in the light current. He turned back to Martha who had gone back to sitting on the rock before swimming over to her. “I can go get some seaweed… I do not mind it at all, besides, you need sustenance” He said and Martha nodded slightly “Please… I think I overestimated myself.. Though I’m sure I’ll have to get used to eating raw fish… I think it just shocked me” she said and sighed softly.

“It is ok, I was the same way when I was first changed” Laf admitted and Martha looked up at him “You were a human??” she asked in awe and Laf nodded before sitting down next to her on the rock “I lived a wonderful life… that is until my family died.. I was to be shipped to America to live with some relatives that had gone there for the summer but on my way there, the ship was caught in a storm and sank… I thought I was dead.. Until a merman much older than me found me adrift on a pile of rubbish left over from the wreck… I was terrified that he was going to eat me, as I had grown up with the same horrendous tails of the creatures with fins, but to my surprise he pulled me into the water and planted a kiss on my lips” Laf explained as he lightly touched his lips as a response to the memory.

“It was odd, and I was scared before I went through the same transformation as you did… and the merman who saved me took me in and helped me adjust to life in the ocean” Laf finished his story and smiled softly at the fond memories he had had with the creature that had saved him. Martha pulled Laf into a tight motherly hug as she rubbed his back, leaving Laf surprised at her actions (oh how the tables have turned) “Oh Lafayette… I had no idea..” she said as Laf wrapped his arms around the smaller mermaid “It is alright Mademoiselle… I am just glad to still be alive and to have been a part of a wonderful friendship” he said and pulled away to smile at Martha “Now if you do not mind” he said as he got up, carefully unwrapping Martha’s arms from himself “I will go get you some seaweed”.

Martha chuckled softly before smiling up at Laf and shooing him away playfully “I won’t keep you here any longer” she said “And thank you for doing all of this for me… and for telling me about your past” Laf nodded and smiled softly back at Martha before swimming out of the cave to go search for the nearest patch of seaweed. Laf returned a bit later than he had when searching for fish, but he had a large handful of seaweed for Martha to eat. He found her where he had left her on the rocks where she was observing herself and the new features she’d acquired after Laf had saved her from drowning.“I have returned” Laf called in and Martha looked up with a soft smile “Hello Lafayette, did everything go well??” She asked and the french merman nodded before delivering the seaweed to Martha who happily began eating the leafy sea-leaf. Laf sat down on the cave floor by the end of Martha’s tail and waited for her to finish eating, his mind racing with all of the memories that had been uncovered from the depths of his mind. “Lafayette??” Martha called, stirring him from his mind “Oui??” He asked while looking up at her to find that she looked worried “I called your name twice before, but you didn’t answer, are you alright??” she asked and Laf nodded.

"I am alright, I was just lost in thought I suppose” He said before getting up “How are you feeling??” he asked and Martha pushed herself up “I’m feeling well” she said and Laf smiled “Wonderful, I was hoping then that you would be willing to try and practicing swimming. I know you have been having some difficulty, and I do not mind helping you” he said and Martha flashed him a smile “I would really appreciate it, I’m not very good at swimming without legs” she said before giggling. Laf chuckled softly before taking Martha’s hand tentatively, ready to guide her out of the cave. Martha paused for a moment before holding his hand in return, letting Laf lead her out of the cave and into open waters.

Martha gasped as everything seemed to shimmer from the refraction of the sunlight in the waters and Laf turned back to her “Are you alright??” he asked at hearing her gasp and thinking something bad had happened but instead he found Martha smiling “I never knew it was so beautiful down here...” she said happily as a school of colorful fish lazily swam by them. “It is quite beautiful yes??” he said and Martha nodded “Fantastic..” she said in awe as Laf stopped, causing her to stop as well. “This appears to be as good a place as any to practice, it is just open waters for awhile. When you get more comfortable with swimming I could take you to a reef or a kelp forest” Laf said and Martha nodded in understanding “Alright” she replied in understanding.

Laf smiled before rotating himself to lay horizontally, his back facing the surface and his stomach facing the sand below him “It is all in the hips mon ami” he said as he slowly started to move his tail up and down, casually propelling himself forward through the calm waters. Martha smiled and watched Laf swim around in lazy circles before he returned back to where she was waiting. “Now you try, just lie on your stomach” he said and Martha looked a bit uneasy. “Will it be safe..”she asked with her hands on her stomach and Laf got where her uncertainty was coming from “Oui oui, it is perfectly safe mon ami, oh and- you do not mind if I call you that” he said and Martha nodded “I don’t really know what it means, but I’m assuming it’s good” she said and giggled and Laf chuckled “Oui, it means my friend” he said and smiled softly.

Martha smiled back before gradually moving herself onto her stomach. Laf held her steady, causing Martha to tense up a bit before she eventually relaxed. “Just move your hips up and down, it will trigger your tail to move which will allow you to move forward” Laf instructed and Martha took a deep breath before trying to move. She ended up just flailing around aimlessly until Laf held her still again “Non- uh- it was a good start” Laf said and Martha sighed “Not really, but I appreciate the sentiments” she said and chuckled. Laf held her in the correct position before instructing her again. After more flailing Martha huffed and was about to give up before Laf carefully placed his hands on Martha's waist. 

“Do not say anything about this, this is just as uncomfortable for you as it is for me- but you are just not getting the motions” Laf said and Martha nodded slightly. Laf bit the inside of his cheek before carefully pushing Martha’s hips up and then down. He repeated those motions until he felt Martha begin to move on her own. Laf smiled before swimming away to see if she would start moving, which she did after a little bit more of moving her hips. “Wonderful!! Keep doing that!!” he called as Martha beamed proudly before slowly swimming away. Laf swam after her to keep her in his sights and after a bit of swimming Martha began to pick up speed. She let out a happy laugh before looking behind her to see if Laf was still following. Laf passed her up a thumbs up when she looked back and Martha grinned before slowing herself to a stop.

“That was perfect mon ami!!” Laf said happily as he caught up to Martha who was all smiles. “I couldn’t have done it without you” Martha said and playfully elbowed Laf, causing him to laugh “It feels good does it not??”He asked and Martha nodded “It was incredible” she said before slowly spinning herself in a happy circle. Laf chuckled before looking around them to try and gauge their location “We should start heading back to the cave now so we do not end up getting lost. Well- I know these waters well but still I do not want to risk running into something with a novice swimmer” he said and Martha playfully smacked his arm.

“Novice my ass I did plenty good” she said and snorted while Laf doubled over form laughter. After the two calmed down Martha agreed to go back to the cave and Laf smiled before the two same back. Their pace was a little bit slow as Martha was still trying to get the rhythm of swimming down, plus sometimes she would list to one side but they arrived safely back to their underwater home. Laf stopped at the entrance and looked up at the surface while Martha swam in. “If you are up to it, I can take you up to the surface” Laf suggested and Martha looked back at the french merman with a questioning look. “I thought the surface would be dangerous for mermaids” she said.

“Well it is, but there are not too many boats out during this time of day, and I go up there a lot” Laf said and Martha nodded “I think I might just stay in here, but you’re welcome to go, I won’t stop you” she said and offered him a smile which Laf happily returned “Alright, I shall return soon mon ami” he said before swimming out of the cave and up to the surface for some well deserved quiet time. Laf always enjoyed going up to the surface as it reminded him of his time as a human spent staring up at the clouds and imagining things in them or perhaps catching a glimpse of a plane as it soared through the air. There were no planes today, but Laf didn’t mind as the engine would break up the peaceful silence. He took a deep breath of the fresh air before laying on his back and letting himself rest for a moment in the sun’s warmth

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Not even a day had gone by since he’d lost his wife to the sea, but George felt the wound in his heart like it had just happened only a moment ago. He remembered it all so clearly too: the pounding rain, cracking thunder, roaring waves, and most of all the terrified face of his dear Martha before she was thrown overboard and into the dark sea. He’d watch her still body for as long as he could before one of those.. Those _monsters_ came and dragged her down into the depths. It had made him sick and angry and hopeless all at the same time and he wanted nothing more than to dive in after Martha.

But George knew that wouldn’t be what Martha would've wanted him to do... She’d want him to keep living and to honor her memory... But how could he do that when the pain of loosing her hurt so much... He was lying in their bed now, he hadn’t moved since he’d collapsed on it to sob after he’d returned home sopping wet, cold, and alone. He was holding his wife’s pillow, Martha’s pillow, close to his chest trying to take in as much of her as he could. He could almost imagine it was her in his arms. Her warm scent like wildflowers and freshly baked pastries... Her smooth skin and beautiful curly hair... Her full and round breasts and glorious thighs... He missed it all, but the thing he missed the most was her stunning voice and the little bump that would’ve one day grown into their child...

They’d tried ever since they had married, and after almost giving up they’d finally done it. He remember that glorious day all too well, when his wife had come out of the bathroom with a positive pregnancy test. It was the happiest day of his life besides his wedding day… but now all the joy that had accompanied that day was gone… likely in the stomach of some retched sea demon or at the bottom of the sea cold and lifeless.

George let out another heartbroken sob before pressing his face into Martha’s pillow, wishing that it would somehow reveal itself to be his wife who would wrap her arms around him and pull him close, rubbing his back and softly whispering _it’s going to be ok Georgie.. Where’s that smile I love so much??_ He missed the times where they’d sing sea shanties together in the craziest pirate accents they could think of, and he missed gazing up at the stars with her every night, trying to pick out the different constellations. But not only did George miss his wife, but he desperately needed the help she would provide to him at his most vulnerable times.

George had always been a very analytical person. He kept a record of most things he did and always kept a notebook with him which was full of a thousand different notes he had concocted throughout his life. He would sometimes flip through the many pages just to watch his handwriting evolve, but the downside to this all was that George always got stuck reminiscing on the past, scrutinizing every little mistake he’d ever made. This meant that George hated being alone because he always knew he would get lost in his thoughts, which was just another reason he loved Martha so much, because she was always there to pull him out of the dark.

_It’s ok Georgie... Just focus on me ok?? Listen to my voice…_ The way she would gently cup his face and whisper sweet nothings to help bring him back to reality... _You’re safe here Georgie, I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you ok?? Do you understand me my love... I won’t let anything happen to you…_ Her tiny arms trying to wrap all the way around George’s thick torso, her face barely making it to his chest before nuzzling into him, her home within his arms... _You’re not alone Georgie... I’m here for you... You’re not alone..._

But now he WAS alone...

  
  



	3. Fin-ale (I hate myself but I had to have at least one fish pun)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This be the end of this one shot story, and I hope you enjoyed it!!

Months went by, and soon Martha lost track of time, it was hard to while underwater as time seemed to become useless. She had to resort to tracking the growth of her stomach in order to have any sort of idea how long it had been since she’d been which based on her stomach told her that she must’ve been close to 9 months, seeing as how not only was it very swollen but she also had frequent abdominal pains, plus the child inside of her was becoming increasingly active in their kicking. But now here she was, lying down on a makeshift bed that she and Laf had made for her seeing as how she had nowhere else to go. Martha rubbed her stomach and sighed, thinking back to the 6 months she had spent underwater in this new world she been thrust into suddenly

Laf had been nothing but kind to her after their first day together, and had done everything he could to help her adjust and stay healthy while in her current situation. She’d finally shifted to eating mainly fish which did a much better job of satiating her never ending hunger than the seaweed she’d been snacking on and was much better at swimming when she had to. Besides, it made Laf’s job of gathering food much easier which made the French merman much happier. They swapped stories of their time, both from land and sea, to pass the time and Martha learned more of the man that had saved Laf, though the story had quite a tragic ending

“His name was James Armistead, and he had fallen into the sea in nearly the same way I had. He had been working on a ship, though he did not much care for it as he was not treated very kindly by his shipmates. He had a strong connection to the sea, and one night when he fell overboard during a storm he was ready to accept his end before a young merman saved his life. He was forever grateful, and dedicated his life to saving souls lost to the sea” Laf explain and Martha smiled as she lazily rubbed her belly “He sounds like a wonderful man” she said and Laf nodded in agreement

“He said that the man that had saved him was similar to looks in my own, and while I believed it was just pure coincidence, he was sure that it had been fate returning to him the man that had saved him” Laf said and Martha cocked her head to the side. “Whatever happened to the first merman??” She asked and Laf shrugged “He would not tell me, but I suspect fisherman. Anyways, Monsieur Armistead helped me to survive and let me shelter in his cave, which I have since inherited” he explained and Martha looked around the cave “Then why have I not met this man??” She asked and Laf turned towards the entrance of the cave with a somber look on his face

“It was a horrible tempest, and there was a boat that carried 2 men which got caught in the middle of it. Monsieur Armistead swam close to the surface in case one were to fall off, and indeed one did. I could not quite see as he had ordered me to stay in the cave, though I admit I could not help myself from peaking. There was a struggle as the man was not unconscious when Monsieur Armistead went to save him. He had some sort of weapon with him” Laf explained as he got up and swam to a small corner of the cave, returning with something wrapped in cloth which he slowly began to unwrap carefully as he returned to his story

“The man attacked James.. And there was a bloody struggle that attracted les requins… they both died, the water left a red cloud and a few bits of remains as a result” Laf said as he fully uncovered the object, leaving Martha stuck with a horrified surprise. She recognized the knife that Laf had with him, as her husband had one exactly like it, which meant… Laf looked up at Martha to see her panicked stare “What is wrong mademoiselle??” He asked and it took Martha a moment to finally find the words she was searching for. “I-I know this weapon…” She said as she carefully lifted the knife from the cloth “It belonged to my husband George’s brother… who died when he fell overboard and he was eaten by a mermaid… though I suppose we’ve had the story wrong all along...”

Laf’s eyes widened as he watched Martha carefully holding the knife in her hands. “You think it was your husband's brother who attacked James..” He asked and Martha quickly set the knife down again “I suppose- but Laf please know that I am so incredibly sorry” she said “George grew up in a family of hunters… Lawrence, his brother, was a fighter, it would be his natural instinct… but I am so sorry you lost a man so close to you, at a young age too I imagine” Martha said, trying desperately to make any sort of right out of this dark situation

Laf was silent as he wrapped up the knife again before taking it away and returning it back to its resting place. “Laf… please… I know words can’t bring James back… but we all lost something that day” she said as she hoisted herself up before slowly swimming over to the French merman. “I will gather dinner..” He said softly before swimming out of the cave, leaving Martha alone, the water around her eyes made saliter by her tears

Martha sighed before a sudden hum pulled her from her memories of the events from a couple months ago. A moment later Laf appeared at the edge of the cave, with an expression in his eyes that Martha couldn’t easily decipher “What is it Laf??” she asked as she worked herself into an upright seated position “It is a boat.. And if I am not mistaken, it is the boat belonging to your husband” Martha gasped, her eyes lighting up for a moment before reality crushed her “Oh George..” she sobbed before covering her mouth with her hand. Laf swam over to Martha and pulled her into a hug “I will go talk with him, there must be a way to reunite you two” he said but Martha shook her head 

“Laf if you go up there George will kill you” Martha said, her voice seized with worry and despair. “That is a risk I will have to take, for you mademoiselle” Laf said before pulling away, even after Martha made a grab for his arm for one last attempt to try and persuade him to stay “Please- if I can go up there maybe I can talk with him!!” Martha begged before Laf pulled his arm from Martha’s grasp “You can barely swim, there is no way you would be able to reach the surface, and besides what if your husband were to turn his fury on you instead?? One sees reality in a distorted way when afflicted with rage” he said before swimming to the edge of the cave, leaving Martha on her bed “I will return Mademoiselle, you must stay here where it is safe” he promised before leaving for the surface

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George dropped the anchor into the placid waters before after killing the engine and grabbing his polished harpoon gun. He’d spent months trying to find the spot he’d lost his wife in, and now he’d finally found it as he recognized the hazy cropping of rocks hidden in the clear waters. He hadn’t killed with his gun since Martha had begun her pregnancy, but he’d spent the past months retraining himself in how it operated. Once the boat was fully stopped he crossed onto the deck and readied his weapon, eyes trained on the waters, ready to detect any disturbance

He didn’t have to wait long, as something darted out from the rocks and began to swim up towards the surface and George’s heart nearly leapt from his chest at the suddenness of it. The toned skin and the iridescent opal tail.. It was the one that had dragged his wife down into the depths. George’s anger flared and he shot a harpoon into the water, barely missing the seademon before cursing and going for another harpoon. He heard a splash to suggest that the creature had broken the surface and he forwent the gun and just grabbed the container of harpoons “Monsieur Washington!! Do not shoot I know you must be angry but-” The creature started to say in a thick french accent before George turned and threw a harpoon at it

The sharp metal grazed his arm and the creature hissed before dipping back into the water, a trail of red marking his path. George went for another one before the creature poped it’s head up again to try and get through to the human “Monsieur wait!! Please I have your wife!!” He said and George let out a howl of anger before unleashing another harpoon at the damned monster. “What’ve you done to her?! Reduced her to a mess of bones?!” George yelled while the creature dodged his attack “Non!! She is alive!!” the siren said before George went back into the cabin, dismissing the creature’s words and instead retrieving a net 

“Liar!!” George cried as he readied the net to throw “You’re probably just tricking me!! Have plans to eat me too?!” The creature went to say something but George cast the net, entangling the creature inside it. The demon writhed around, trying desperately to break free as George hauled it onto the deck of the boat “I want to make your death slow and painful, like the misery you left me in after taking my life from me” He growled as he cut the ropes around the creature. “But Monsieur!! She is not dead, she is alive!! Please you must believe me!!” The creature begged but George only retrieved the large knife he kept on his belt

“You monsters have taken everything from me, and now I’ll finally get revenge” He growled, anger making his eyes dark and cold, causing the creature to cower on the deck beneath him. The siren held his bloodied arm where George had harpooned him, eyes squeezed shut, likely as a combination of pain and an acceptance of his demise. George raised his knife, ready to strike the creature down before a cry stirred him from his rage “George please!! Don’t hurt him!!”

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Martha had disregarded Laf’s advice to stay in the cave and despite her uncomfort and pain she swam up to the surface. As she drew nearer she realized that she couldn’t see Laf in the water, but instead could see a small cloud of dark red, causing her fears to spike into the stratosphere. She prayed Laf wasn’t already dead before casting one last look around the waters around her and summoning her courage to face whatever was on the surface

She broke the surface and swam around the boat, trying to find a section where she could peer into the boat since she didn’t have enough strength to pull herself up and into the vessel. She caught a glint of something metallic raised in the air and gasped as she realized that it was George’s knife. Her shock and fear outweighed her caution and she cried out, praying George would be able to hear her “George Please!! Don’t hurt him!!”

A sudden silence filled the air before a moment later she saw her husband’s head near the edge of the boat “Martha?!” He cried and she swam around to meet him “George!! Oh my love!!” She cried, her eyes welling up with tears of relief. George sobbed with relief before diving into the waters to be with his wife. The two embraced and sobbed in each other’s arms before common sense kicked in and George treaded water after reluctantly pulling away from his wife “My love.. What has that monster done to you..” He asked as he cupped Martha’s cheek, her heart fluttering at the long missed contact “I’ll explain in a moment.. But tell me you haven’t killed the siren that came to talk to you??” she asked and George looked back towards the boat

“He lives, though I injured him… nothing that can’t be fixed” He said before grabbing onto the side of the boat and hauling himself up. A moment later he had a life raft lowered which Martha clung to and after pulling her onto the boat the two embraced again, lost in their moment of relief and passion to remember that they had an unwilling spectator. “I umm” Laf piped up, causing the two lovers to jump “Oh- I’m sorry Laf” Martha said as she leaned back against the edge of the boat, the sudden exposure to gravity making her abdomen pains worse

“Let me patch that up '' George said while gesturing to Laf’s hurt arm before getting up and going into the cabin to retrieve the medical kit. Laf pushed himself up and sighed shakily before checking his wound. “I’m so sorry” Martha said as she rubbed her stomach but Laf shook his head “It is alright, I am not dead and you and your husband are finally reunited” he said “Nearly-” Martha said and sighed as she looked back at her lilac tail. George returned and began to patch up Laf’s arm, though he was completely silent and seemed a bit reluctant to be working on Laf

“How did this even happen..” George asked as he pulled away from Laf and retreated back to his wife, pulling her close and resting a hand on her swollen stomach. “When I fell in, Lafayette saved me by turning me into a mermaid and he’s kept me well” Martha explained as she happily leaned into her husband’s embrace “How?? I was unaware of the fact that sirens were magical” George said. “No one really knows” Laf explained and George sighed “Wonderful… how do we get her back to normal??” He asked with a hint of annoyance

“Is it even possible..” Martha asked sadly before Laf appeared to perk up “Wait.. there may actually be a way” He said and the lovers looked to the merman “There is?!” Martha asked hopefully “How?? Please tell us” George begged. “It was just a story that Monsieur Armistead told me… but I believe it has some truth. He told me a story of lightning coral that could be used to restore someone to their original state… but the only reef nearby is too far from the surface to be able to be struck by lightning” he said and it appeared that they were at standstill before George sat up suddenly

“Wait a moment… there’s an area near the cove by the Marina… it used to be a reef and there’s still bits of coral there” George said and Martha perked up as well “Wasn’t it struck by lightning a few years back??” She asked expectantly and George nodded. “That will work” Laf said as George got up to go take them all back to land. “Will we be ok on land??” Martha asked and Laf nodded “For a little bit, it has been a long time since I have been fully above water for a prolonged period of time” he explained while George raised the anchor and turned on the engine

The trip back to the island was rather quiet with Laf sprawled out awkwardly on the deck and Martha rubbing her stomach to try and distract herself from her pains which seemed to be getting worse and more frequent. They reached land in the late afternoon and George came back out onto the deck where the two mer-creatures were. “We can’t risk you two being seen, so I’ll move you into the cabin while I go get the coral” he said before going over to Martha to help her up “Thank you Georgie” Martha said as she kissed her husband’s cheek before he carried her with some difficulty inside the cabin

A moment later he returned with Laf and the two waited anxiously while George went on to land. “Are you sure this’ll work??” Martha asked and Laf nodded “I am positive as long as the stories are right” he said and Martha tried to relax after his words. After an hour or so George returned with a handful of coral bits “I hope one of these will work” he said as he passed the bits to Laf. “We will have to wait until sunset to see. Can you move us somewhere away from people where we can rest in the water??” Laf asked and George nodded “There’s a cove on the other side of the island. No one really goes over there so we’ll definitely be alone” he said as he went to the console after untying the boat. After a moment George was pulling them out of the Marina and was turning them towards the other side of the island

Martha tried to relax before a sudden wave of harsh pain in her abdomen caused her to wince. She held her stomach and tried to keep herself steady but the rocking of the boat as it travelled made things significantly worse. “George stop the boat-” Martha gasped and her husband looked back at her with worry “What’s wrong my love??” he asked as he stalled the boat before crossing over to his wife while Laf watched from afar

“I-I feel nauseous..” Martha said as she clutched her stomach before another wave of pain washed over her, catching her so off guard that she cried out in pain. George rested his hand on Martha’s swollen stomach before his eyes widened “We need to get you onto land and try to change you back” he said before going back to the controls. “But we must wait until sunset for it to work” Laf said “Then we better find another way because our baby is coming”

“It’s too soon though!!” Martha said as she tried to keep calm though she wasn’t very successful “I was there when my little sister went into labor I know what it looks like” George said and Martha tried to hold back a sob “What happens if I can’t change back in time?!” Martha asked before George tried to calm her down “I do not know… I have never known of a situation like this” Laf admitted and Martha wailed. “My love” George said as he stalled the boat before crossing back over to his wife “Everything is going to be alright” he said as he cupped her face to try and calm her

“H-How can you be so sure?? W-what if we lose our baby??” Martha asked with a trembling voice and George just shushed her calmly “We’re not going to lose our baby, and you’re going to be alright” he said and Martha nodded slightly before another wave of pain crashed into her. George went back to the controls and upped the speed of their boat before the cove came into view and George expertly pulled them in without beaching their boat. George picked up Martha and carried her onto the soft sands before setting her down and going back for Laf and the coral bits

Martha tried to steady her breathing before George returned and set Laf down on the sands. He took off his shirt and laid it down on the sand before carefully moving Martha onto it “Just keep breathing my love” George said as he gently stroked his wife’s hair “We’ll just have to wait and hope our child won’t come before sunset” he added and Martha nodded slightly. Laf crawled his way back into the water and waited just beyond the shore while Martha gripped tightly onto her husband's hand

A couple tense and excruciating hours later the sun finally began to dip behind the horizon and George left his wife’s side to collect the coral from Laf. “I hope this works..” he mumbled before giving the coral to Martha “What now??” He asked the French merman who was looking back out at the sea and the sinking sun. The golden rays of sunlight hit the coral in Martha’s hand and began to glow before spreading down from her hands and to her tail, enveloping it in it’s heavenly glow

A moment later the light fizzed away into sea foam which washed away to reveal Martha’s human legs. Martha sighed with relief before another contraction hit her and she cried out while George kissed his wife’s cheek over and over again “It work Martha, you’re back, we made it” he said, his voice heavy with relief while Laf crawled his way back onto the sands “I do not know human anatomy… but I will help in any way I can” he offered and George helped pull him further onto shore as they prepared for Martha’s delivery

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It was nightfall by the time the cries of the child was finally heard and Martha collapsed after hours of agony. George held his newborn baby girl before cutting the cord that still connected the child to her mother. Once that was taken care of Laf returned with a carved out rock filled with water that George used to carefully wash off the child. “Check on Martha” George said softly and the creature nodded before crawling over to Martha’s head to make sure she was alright

George couldn’t believe that he’d actually come to trust this creature, but without his knowledge of the siren species and the almost magical abilities of that species he could’ve lost his wife and daughter. Once the child was as clean as he could manage George sat down on the sand and rocked her gently to try and calm her crying. “She is alright, just resting I suppose” Laf said. “Wake her up, if she becomes unconscious she could go into shock” George instructed and the French merman nodded before gently shaking Martha back to reality. Laf helped Martha sit up as best she could while George returned to his wife’s side

Martha reached out for the crying baby who Gerorge carefully passed to her. “She looks so beautiful” she whispered before rocking the infant child in her arms, her eyes tearing up slightly from a rush of pleasant emotions. George smiled at his two girls before kissing both of them softly and turning to Laf “Thank you so much… and I’m sorry for everything” he said and Laf waved it away “It is alright, I understand” he said before Martha looked up at the creature to thank him as well “I wouldn’t be here without you… whatever can we do to repay you??” She asked but Laf just shook his head 

“There is no need for anything, I am just glad that I could help” Laf said and smiled softly which Martha copied before looking down at the child who’d begun to calm down “What should we name our little princess??” She asked before looking up at her husband. George already had a couple ideas, but instead went for a name unlike what he’d been thinking about “Mary… it was my mother’s name” he said and Martha smiled softly “It sounds wonderful” she said before leaning up and planting a kiss to her husband's jaw

The two turned their attention away from each other when a sudden splash alerted them to Laf’s departure. The merman popped up several yards away from shore and waved to the 3 humans still on the land. Martha waved back as best she could with her child in her arms while George nodded to Laf who nodded back before disappearing under the now black waves to return to his watery home

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“Mary dear please don’t leave the house without taking something to eat!!” Her mother called and Mary, now 3 years old, groaned before turning on her heels and trudging into the kitchen where her mother stood at the stove. “I promised my friend I would meet him down at the cove!!” Mary whined and her father chuckled while eating at the table “Come now love, our little explorer has another adventure ahead of her” he said and Martha sighed before shaking her head and chuckling to herself

“Alright fine, but take some fruit at least, and don’t be out too long” Martha said and Mary squealed with excitement “Thank you mama!!” she said and hugged her mother who hugged back for a moment before presenting her daughter with an assortment of different fruits. Mary took 2 apples and Martha chuckled “That’s the 4th apple you taken this week” she said and Mary giggled “I’m a growing girl mama, an adventurer needs her sustance!!” She said and George laughed from the table “Come give your father a hug” he said and Mary launched herself at her dad with a squeal of happiness

“Easy you two” Martha called from the stove as Father and daughter laughed and embraced before Mary jumped down and made a beeline for the door “I’ll be back soon I promise!!” she called before rushing out the door and down to the other side of the island to the cove where she’d been born. The trip was a bit hard thanks to the cliff face that she had to scale even though there was a new switch back path that made transversing the cliff easier. Once she was on the sand she kicked off her shoes before rushing over to the water to look for her friend who would surely be there as he always was

“Mister!! I’m here!!” She called before a disturbance in the water alerted her to the arrival of her friend. Once she saw him she waved happily and wadded further into the water. “Hello mister!!” she called as the creature swam closer to her “Bonjour Mary” the creature said in his thick french accent, his iridescent tail flashing in the sunlight as he neared the shore. “I brought you another apple” Mary replied happily as she tossed her friend the red fruit. “Merci” He said as he bit into the sweet fruit while Mary giggled and bit into her own apple “Hey mister, can you tell me another story??” she asked with a mouth full of fruit, causing the siren to laugh. “Of course I can Mary” he said and Mary giggled happily before plopping down in the sand, the tide every so often rushing in and ruffling her skirt

“At the end of the day” the siren concluded after spinning grand adventures of the mer-creatures for the little girl’s enjoyment “We are not that much different from your kind. We all wish for the same things, and our differences should not define us. We are one and the same. And we are not monsters”

**Author's Note:**

> Uhh so yeah there's gonna be a couple chapters to this but oh well


End file.
